Laken Riley murder: Jose Ibarra attends hearing as trial date looms

ATHENS, Ga. - Jose Ibarra, the man accused of killing a nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus, was in court in Athens on Friday for a motions hearing ahead of his scheduled trial next month.  The hearing was a full day of legal proceedings related to evidence in the case.

Ibarra is charged with murder and other crimes in the February killing of Riley. A 10-count indictment accuses Ibarra of hitting the 22-year-old Augusta University College of Nursing student in the head, asphyxiating her and pulling up her clothing with the intent to sexually assault her. Ibarra pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The judge heard arguments on four motions Friday. Those include a motion by Ibarra’s attorneys to move the trial from Athens because of pretrial publicity and an attempt to have the peeping Tom charge tried separately because it involves a different alleged victim. His attorneys also are seeking to exclude some evidence and expert testimony.

The hearing went on all day in Athens, focusing on attempts by Ibarra’s defense to remove key evidence collected during the investigation. The evidence in question includes two phones taken when Ibarra’s apartment was searched, fingerprints, and his social media accounts.

Ibarra was present in the Athens-Clarke County courtroom Friday, along with members of Riley’s family. Riley’s body was found near Lake Herrick in February after she didn’t return home from a morning run. Friday’s testimony centered on how certain evidence was obtained the day after Riley’s murder, starting when police first encountered Ibarra.

Investigators testified that surveillance video from Ibarra’s apartment complex showed a man in a black hat throwing a jacket into a dumpster. When police found a man wearing the same hat, they later learned it was Ibarra’s brother, Diego.

Athens-Clarke County Police Sergeant Timothy Johnson said, "The male subject had a black-colored baseball cap with a white Adidas symbol on it, exactly like the suspect in the footage at the dumpsters."

Police then obtained warrants to search Diego’s apartment, where Ibarra also lived. The defense questioned officers’ decision to search the apartment. UGA Police Department Officer Joshua Epps responded, "I believed based on the fact that we already had video footage of an individual discarding or attempting to destroy evidence, there were circumstances to believe there could be other evidence being destroyed inside."

During the search, two of Jose Ibarra’s cell phones were seized but were not searched until a later warrant was obtained. Ibarra was arrested that day on an outstanding warrant before being charged with Riley’s murder.

SEE MORE: Laken Riley murder: Prosecution reveals evidence against Jose Ibarra

Another hearing over DNA evidence in the case has been moved to Nov. 1. Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard said during a hearing in August that he plans to begin jury selection on Nov. 13 and proceed with the trial the following week.

Ibarra’s defense also sought to have the peeping Tom charge tried separately, as it involves a different alleged victim, but the judge is expected to deny that motion. Riley’s killing became a flashpoint in the national debate over immigration because Ibarra, who is from Venezuela, entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and was allowed to stay to pursue his immigration case. Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, blamed Riley’s death on President Joe Biden and his border policies.

What Happened to Laken Riley?

Riley was brutally murdered during her morning run on Feb. 22. Her body was found by police shortly after she was reported missing by a friend in a wooded area near Lake Herrick and UGA's intramural fields.

Ibarra, originally from Venezuela, entered the country illegally in 2022 and was living in Athens. He was charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call, and concealing the death of another.

An autopsy showed Riley died from blunt force trauma to the head.

Arrest Warrant outlines UGA murder

According to the warrants, Riley was killed between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Feb. 22. The warrants say Ibarra "physically" prevented Riley from making or completing a 911 call and used an "object" to cause great bodily harm, "disfiguring her skull." The warrants also indicate he dragged her from the intramural fields to a secluded area and concealed her death.

The indictment says Ibarra concealed a jacket and gloves, leading to the evidence tampering charge. It also says that on the day of Riley’s killing, Ibarra had peered into the window of an apartment in a university housing building, invading the privacy of a person whose name was redacted, which is the basis for the peeping Tom charge.

In the court filings, prosecution argues that Ibarra’s actions on that morning were "part of a continuous single scheme" which ultimately led to the murder of Riley. 

MORE: Brother of Laken Riley murder suspect has ties to Venezuela crime gang, prosecutors say

"He encountered Laken Riley approximately 60 minutes later where, the evidence will show, he attempted to sexually assault her. When Laken Riley fought the Defendant’s attempt to sexually assault her, he murdered her," the court document reveals. 

The documents also reveal prosecutors have a thumbprint from Riley’s phone, DNA from her fingernails, and video footage. Prosecutors say the thumbprint on Riley's phone belongs to Ibarra. 

During the search for Riley's killer, Jose Ibarra's brother, 29-year-old Diego Ibarra, was also arrested. It was discovered that Diego Ibarra had a fraudulent green card.